Garden Dale site

11 Miles North on State Highway 385; and Intersection State Highway 158.
LEGRANDE MARKER

STATE HISTORICAL SURVEY COMMITTEE

LeGRANDE SURVEY OF 1833
(S.E. CORNER 18 MILES E. OF THIS SITE)

MADE IN ERA OF MEXICAN RULE IN TEXAS FOR JOHN BEALES, WHO THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, ACQUIRED 70,000,000 ACRES OF LAND AND GAINED THE TITLE OF "TEXAS' LARGEST LAND KING".

ALEXANDER LeGRANDE'S SURVEY COVERED ABOUT 2,000 MILES IN WEST TEXAS, OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO-THEN SOUTH TO THE 32ND PARALLEL. HARDSHIP AND TRAGEDY PLAGUED LeGRANDE'S PARTY. ATTACKED BY INDIANS, HE ABANDONED SURVEY.

FIRST EXPLORATION HERE IS USUSALLY CREDITED TO CAPT. R.B. MARCH, U.S. ARMY; LeGRANDE'S WORK WAS YEARS EARLIER.
(1967)

BAKER SCHOOL MARKER

STATE HISTORICAL SURVEY COMMITTEE

NEAR SITE OF BAKER RANCH SCHOOL

SINCE THERE WERE NO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN RURAL ECTOR COUNTY, R.W. SMITH AND TEAGUE BAKER IN 1906 ERECTED AN 8' X 10' SCHOOL BUILDING IN BAKER'S PASTURE. THEY HIRED A TEACHER AT $15.00 A MONTH, PLUS ROOM AND BOARD, WHICH EACH FURNISHED ON ALTERNATE MONTHS.

RANCH SCHOOLS LIKE THIS ONE TAUGHT NOT ONLY CHILDREN OF RANCHERS, BUT ALSO THOSE OF COWBOYS AND NESTERS--SMALL FARMERS COMING WEST TO HOMESTEAD OR TO BUY LAND AT NOMINAL PRICES.

BAKER COMMUNITY LATER HAD A PUBLIC SCHOOL, TILL THE PERMIAN BASIN HAD GOOD ROADS AND BUSES, RANCH SCHOOLS SERVED IT WELL.
(1965)

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updated: 9/10/98